NIU out of West title hunt with loss to Ohio

Northern Illinois Huskies 2009 ... Head Coach: Jerry Kill

2009 Schedule
CFN Prediction: 6-6
2009 Record: 7-4

9/5 at Wisconsin L 28-20
9/12 W Illinois W 41-7
9/19 at Purdue W 28-21
9/26 Idaho L 34-31
10/3 WMU W 38-3
10/10 OPEN DATE
10/1 at Toledo L 20-19
10/24 at Miami Univ. W 27-22
10/31 Akron W 27-10
11/5 Eastern Mich W 50-6
11/12 Ball State W 26-20
11/21 at Ohio L 38-31
11/27 at CMU

2008 Schedule
CFN Prediction: 4-8
2008 Record: 6-7

8/30 at Minnesota L 31-27
9/6 at Western Mich L 29-26
9/13 OPEN DATE
9/20 Indiana State W 48-3
9/27 at Eastern Mich W 37-0
10/4 at Tennessee L 13-9
10/11 Miami Univ. W 17-13
10/18 Toledo W 38-7
10/25 Bowling Green W 16-13
11/5 at Ball State L 45-14
11/12 Central Mich L 33-30 OT
11/18 at Kent State W 42-14
11/22 OPEN DATE
11/25 Navy L 16-0
Independence Bowl
12/28 Louisiana Tech L 17-10

Northern Illinois Huskies

Nov. 21
at Ohio 38 … Northern Illinois 31
LaVon Brazill caught a 27-yard touchdown pass and took a punt 91 yards for a score for an early 14-0 Ohio lead on the way to a win that set up a showdown for the MAC East title against Temple. NIU got knocked out of the MAC West race despite outgaining Ohio 421 yards to 247 with Chad Spann running for two one-yard scores and Marcus Lewis catching a 26-yard scoring pass. Brazill gave Ohio a third quarter lead on a 37-yard catch, but the Bobcats didn’t take the lead for good until Julian Posey took an interception 41 yards for a touchdown.
Player of the Game: Ohio WR LaVon Brazill caught five passes for 55 yards and two touchdowns, and returned four punts for 99 yards and a score
Northern Illinois: Passing: Chandler Harnish, 24-35, 307 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Chad Spann, 12-32, 2 TD, Receiving: Marcus Lewis, 4-64, 1 TD
Ohio: Passing: Theo Scott, 16-28, 138 yds, 3 TD
Rushing: Chris Garrett, 11-56, Receiving: Taylor Price, 6-45  ss
What It All Means: The running game wasn’t consistent enough and the defense inexplicably gave up 38 points to an offensively challenged Ohio team, and the MAC title dream went poof. NIU might still go bowling even with a loss at CMU next week, in what was supposed to be for the West title, but it has to win to secure a spot. With the No. 1 D in the MAC and the No. 1 running game, the Huskies have treat this like a playoff game to get a 13th game.

Nov. 12
at Northern Illinois 26 … Ball State 20
Chandler Harnish and DeMarcus Grady combine to complete 13-of-14 passes with two touchdowns, and Chad Spann ran for a six-yard score as NIU got past Ball State. The Cardinals started off the scoring with a five-yard Eric Williams run and scored late on a 29-yard Daniel Ifft grab to pull within six, but NIU was able to hold on. Huskie WR Priest Williams caught a nine yard touchdown pass in the first half; it was the senior’s first catch of his career.
Player of the Game: Northern Illinois LB Pat Schiller made 12 tackles with a half a sack and a tackle for loss.
Ball State: Passing: Tanner Justice, 11-19, 134 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: Cory Sykes, 11-75, Receiving: Briggs Orsbon, 3-41
Northern Illinois: Passing: Chandler Harnish, 9-9, 60 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: Nathan Palmer, 3-69, Receiving: Landon Cox, 6-41 
What It All Means: It wasn’t a perfect performance with the running game kept in check and the defense needing to battle for a full sixty minutes against a bad Ball State offense, but the wins keep on coming, now on a four-game run, with the big boys to come. It’s a two-game playoff to get to the MAC title game, with next week’s battle at Ohio a must win to set up a MAC West title game against Central Michigan. Now that Chandler Harnish is back, the offense has even more options. There weren’t any plays made down the field, but Harnish and DeMarcus Grady only missed once on the short to midrange throws. The passing game needs to do more, it’s currently last in the MAC, to get by CMU.

Oct. 35
at Northern Illinois 50 … Eastern Michigan 6
NIU ran for 418 yards with both Chad Spann and DeMarcus Grady rumbling for over 100 yards in the easy win. Tommy Davis took the opening kickoff 86 yards for a touchdown, but EMU was able to stay alive in the first quarter with two Joe Carithers field goals. It was all Huskies the rest of the way with 37 unanswered points highlighted by Spann scoring runs from 65 and 79 yards out. Mike Salerno hit three field goals and Landon Cox scored on touchdown passes from 30 and 31 yards out.
Player of the Game: Northern Illinois RB Chad Spann ran 11 times for 174 yards and two scores.
Eastern Michigan: Passing: Alex Gillett, 2-12, 49 yds
Rushing: Dwayne Priest, 17-75, Receiving: Kinsman Thomas 1-48
Northern Illinois: Passing: DeMarcus Grady, 4-5, 119 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Chad Spann, 11-174, 2 TD, Receiving: Landon Cox, 3-84, 2 TD 
What It All Means: Finally, NIU played like it was supposed to against a bad team. It’s not like the Huskies played down to the competition at all, with the running game rumbling at will and the defense dropping a hammer on the miserable EMU offense. DeMarcus Grady threw well when he had to, but NIU could’ve won the game without throwing a pass. The defensive line got into the backfield all game long while the secondary was great against the passing game and getting the D off the field. Next up is another layup against Ball State.

Oct. 31
at Northern Illinois 27 … Akron 10
Chad Spann ran for two fourth quarter touchdowns, scoring from 28 and two yards out, and Nathan Palmer ran for a seven-yard score as NIU finally pulled away after a sluggish first 45 minutes. Mike Salerno gave the Huskies a 6-0 halftime lead on two field goals, but Akron came back highlighted by a 80-yard Andre Jones touchdown catch from running back Alex Allen. Akron went 0-of-10 on third down conversions.
Player of the Game: Northern Illinois QB DeMarcus Grady completed 10-of-18 passes for 62 yards and ran 20 times for 109 yards.
Akron: Passing: Patrick Nicely, 11-27, 124 yds
Rushing: Broderick Alexander, 19-48, Receiving: Andre Jones, 6-154, 1 TD
Northern Illinois: Passing: DeMarcus Grady, 10-18, 62 yds
Rushing: Chad Spann, 21-125, 2 TD, Receiving: Perez Ashford, 4-30 
What It All Means: NIU continues to have a nasty habit of playing down to the mediocre. The defense was terrific against the lowly Zips, but it took a fourth quarter rally to turn the game around and finally pull away. DeMarcus Grady didn’t push the ball down the field, but he was efficient at moving the chains and letting Chad Spann and the running game carry the attack. There’s no reason to not drill Eastern Michigan and Ball State by two touchdowns each over the next two weeks, but the offense has to start putting up more points early on to avoid having to play catch-up late.

Oct. 24
Northern Illinois 27 … at Miami University 22
Northern Illinois got Chad Spann touchdown runs from 40 and 42 yards out, and a Perez Ashford 44-yard punt return for a score, to get up on Miami and stay there. The defense came up with eight sacks, but MU QB Zac Dysert kept pressing finishing with 348 yards and three touchdowns with two going to Armand Robinson. However, the second one came with no time left on the clock. Miami was held to -11 yards rushing.
Player of the Game: Northern Illinois RB Chad Spann ran 21 times for 156 yards and two touchdowns
Miami: Passing: Zac Dysert, 27-37, 348 yds, 3 TD
Rushing: Roman Lawson, 9-26, Receiving: Armand Robinson, 7-123, 2 TD
Northern Illinois: Passing: DeMarcus Grady, 6-10, 60 yds
Rushing: Chad Spann, 21-156, 2 TD, Receiving: Martel Moore, 3-17
What It All Means: NIU was shaky against a bad team, but Chad Spann and the running game controlled the action, and while the defense struggled against the MU passing game, the line came up with eight sacks and was terrific against the run. With three home games in a row, the Huskies have to go on a run and be in a position to potentially win the MAC title in the regular-season ender against Central Michigan. But to get to that point, the secondary has to improve. 

Oct. 17
at Toledo 20 ... Northern Illinois 19
Barry Church blocked a 42-yard NIU field goal attempt in the final minute to give Toledo the win. The Rockets got up 14-0 in the first half on a 26-yard Tim Cortazzo catch and a 17-yard DaJuane Collins touchdown run, and got the game-winning score on a four-yard Collins run midway through the fourth. NIU went on a midgame run with Chandler Harnish running for two one-yard scores and Meco Brown also scoring from a yard out.
Player of the Game: Toledo RB DaJuane Collins ran 16 times for 139 yards and two touchdowns, and he returned four kickoffs for 104 yards
Toledo: Passing: Austin Dantin, 17-24, 202 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: DaJuane Collins, 16-139, 2 TD, Receiving: Eric Page, 10-127
Northern Illinois: Passing: Chandler Harnish , 15-24, 157 yds, 1 INT
Rushing: Meco Brown,22-94, 1 TD, Receiving: Landon Cox, 6-70
What It All Means: Where’s the consistency? The Huskies are good enough to win the MAC title, you don’t blast Western Michigan 38-3 without being decent, but the offense had way too many problems throwing the ball on a bad Toledo secondary. It’s not like Toledo’s high-octane offense exploded, NIU did a nice job of keeping the passing game in check, but the offense simply couldn’t keep moving. This wasn’t a killer to MAC title hopes, it was only the first conference loss, but there can’t be a hiccup over the next four weeks of layups against Miami, Akron, EMU and Ball State before finishing up with Ohio and Central Michigan. 

Oct. 3
at Northern Illinois 38 … Western Michigan 3
Chad Spann ran for three touchdowns as part of a run of 31 unanswered points scoring from one, 20, and five yards out, and the defense that stuffed WMU all game long came through late with a 79-yard interception return for a score from Jake Coffman. The Broncos had the ball for just 23 minutes, turned it over four times, and got its only points on a 40-yard John Potter field goal.
Player of the Game: Northern Illinois RB Chad Spann ran 22 times for 132 yards and three touchdowns
Western Michigan: Passing: Tim Hiller, 18-35, 176 yds
Rushing: Brandon West, 14-54, Receiving: Jordan White, 6-81
Northern Illinois: Passing: Chandler Harnish, 9-15, 135 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: Chad Spann, 22-132, 3 TD, Receiving: Landon Cox, 3-14
What It All Means: If last week was an unfocused, shoddy effort against Idaho in a stunning home loss, then this week was the reaction with a tremendous all-around game to destroy a Western Michigan team that might be underachieving, but it good. Chad Spann ran extremely well and Chandler Harnish was effective throwing the ball, but this game is on the defense. It confused and confounded WMU QB Tim Hiller all game long and forced several mistakes, and it was swarming all over the Bronco running game. NIU is playing as well as anyone in the MAC, and now comes another huge test against Toledo and its high-octane offense in two weeks. 

Sept. 26
Idaho 34 … at Northern Illinois 31
Nathan Enderle threw three touchdown passes including a 58-yarder to Princeton McCarty on the way to a 28-13 lead, and then the Vandals had to hang on. Northern Illinois came roaring back late with a four-yard scoring catch from Landon Cox and a one-yard Meco Brown scoring run after a blocked punt to cut it to three with under six minutes to play, but Enderle connected with Eric Greenwood for a key first down and Idaho ran out the clock.
Player of the Game: Idaho QB Nathan Enderle completed 18-of-23 passes for 270 yards and three touchdowns.
Northern Illinois: Passing: Chandler Harnish, 17-23, 184 yds, 2 TD
Rushing: Chandler Harnish, 13-62, Receiving: Landon Cox, 5-53, 1 TD
Idaho: Passing: Nathan Enderle, 18-23, 270 yds, 3 TD
Rushing: DeMaundray Woolridge, 18-144, 1 TD, Receiving: Eric Greenwood, 3-67
What It All Means: NIU got a good game from Chandler Harnish and the passing game, but the running attack was shut down by the Idaho defensive front and it took a scoring run late just to make it close. The defense had an inexplicably mediocre performance and it’s having a problem against decent short to midrange passing teams, and that’s going to be a problem with Tim Hiller and Western Michigan up next followed up by Aaron Opelt and Toledo. The running game has to be more consistent after being stuffed by the Vandals. This was a strange loss; the team is better than this. 

Sept. 19
Northern Illinois 28 … at Purdue 21
Northern Illinois beat a Big Ten team for the first time in 21 yards as Meco Brown ran for a 67 yard touchdown and Chad Spann ran for scores from one and 11 yards out for a 28-7 lead. Purdue started off the scoring on a 62-yard punt return for a touchdown from Aaron Valentin, but sputtered until late in the third when QB Joey Elliott ran for a 58-yard touchdown and added a six-yard score with 5:42 to play to pull within seven. The defense held, but the offense didn’t get the ball back as NIU successfully converted a fake punt to put the game away.
Player of the Game: Northern Illinois RB Meco Brown ran 26 times for 150 yards and a touchdown, and he caught two passes for 22 yards
Northern Illinois: Passing: Chandler Harnish, 15-26, 174 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Meco Brown, 26-150, 1 TD, Receiving: Marcus Lewis, 4-49
Purdue: Passing: Joey Elliott, 20-31, 188 yds
Rushing: Ralph Bolden, 12-64, Receiving: Kyle Adams, 5-42
What It All Means: NIU controlled the game by hanging on to the ball for 41:40 and by running for 280 yards. Purdue’s offense was able to come up with some big plays with the running game, averaging 6.4 yards per carry, but NIU did a great job of drawing out drives, getting the third down plays when needed, and when the tide was turning late, a perfectly executed fake punt saved the game. This is looking like a true MAC title contender week after week, but there’s one more week to wait for the season to start with Idaho up next before facing Western Michigan.

Sept. 12
at Northern Illinois 41 ... Western Illinois 7
Chad Spann ran for two first quarter scores and caught a 20-yard touchdown pass on the way to the easy win. WIU tied the game early with a 14-yard Matt Barr run, but NIU scored 34 unanswered points in the breather. Chandler Harnish finished with two touchdown passes and Mike Salerno added second half field goals from 25 and 34 yards away.
Player of the Game: Northern Illinois RB Chad Spann ran eight times for 37 yards and two scores and caught a 20-yard pass for a score.
Northern Illinois: Passing: Chandler Harnish, 10-14, 143 yds, 2 TD
Rushing: Meco Brown, 14-117, 1 TD, Receiving: Willie Clark, 2-52
Western Illinois: Passing: Matt Barr, 14-22, 117 yds
Rushing: Dre Gibbs, 14-60, Receiving: Lito Senatus, 6-67
What It All Means: The Huskies took a not-that-bad Western Illinois team and beat it up without a problem. Several players got good work in, but it was the running game that dominated with seven players combining to averaged six yards per carry and score three times. The run defense was fine against the Leathernecks, and now it'll have to be more stout with Purdue and Ralph Bolden up next. That should be a shootout, but NIU needs to keep its ground game rolling to take control early. Meco Brown and Chad Spann could do that.

Sept. 5
at Wisconsin 28 ... Northern Illinois 20
Wisconsin had the game well in hand getting up 28-6 at the end of the third quarter helped by two John Clay one-yard touchdown runs, after starting out hot with Isaac Anderson catching an 80-yard touchdown pass on the first play of the game and a 23-yarder in the second quarter. But NIU came back with two short Chad Spann touchdown runs to pull within eight, but the Badger defense held firm in a game that became much tighter than it should've been.
Player of the Game: Wisconsin QB Scott Tolzien completed 15-of-20 passes for 257 yards and a touchdown with two interceptions.
Northern Illinois: Passing: Chandler Harnish, 15-24, 174 yds
Rushing: Meco Brown, 11-64, Receiving: Kyle Skarb, 3-42
Wisconsin: Passing: Scott Tolzien, 15-20, 257 yds, 1 TD, 2 INT
Rushing: Zach Brown, 14-51, Receiving: Garrett Graham, 6-82
What It All Means: NIU should've just given up. It was getting dominated, nothing was working, and the game appeared to be well out of reach. But the play of RB Chad Spann, the tough play of the defense, and the will of QB Chandler Harnish got the team back into the game. It was too little too late, but the Huskies showed the feistiness and heart that should carry them a long way in MAC play.